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Depression, Anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Women

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Women's Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (22 March 2023) | Viewed by 18866

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Agata Faron-Górecka

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Guest Editor

Department of Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
Interests: depression; treatment resistance; transmembrane receptors; dimerization; neuropeptides; animal models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to the World Health Organization, severe depression is expected to become the leading cause of morbidity around the world by 2030. The development of the COVID-19 pandemic is certain to contribute to many disorders, from post-traumatic stress disorders and anxiety to depression.

All studies to date indicate that women are more than twice as likely to develop depression. In addition, being a woman increases the likelihood of anxiety disorders by 85%.

Neurohormones, which are often activated under stress, can also have a significant impact on the development of these conditions. Chronic stress consequently leads to the dysregulation of neurohormones, which can lead to the development of depression and anxiety. It therefore seems important to draw attention to the involvement of neurohormones in the development of mood disorders, especially since women's hormonal system changes many times during their lives.

Therefore, I invite and encourage all authors who are in possession of interesting data to contribute to this Special Issue on “Depression, Anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Women”. Clinical works will be particularly interesting, but I also encourage the publication of data on basic research, which can contribute greatly to the development of new treatment strategy.

I look forward to your contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Agata Faron-Górecka
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

stress
post-traumatic disorders (PTSD)
depression
neurohormones
neuropsychiatric disorder

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 4155 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Brain Functional Network and Amino Acid Metabolism Association in Females with Subclinical Depression

by Shanguang Zhao, Selina Khoo, Siew-Cheok Ng and Aiping Chi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3321; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063321 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1864

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the association between complex brain functional networks and the metabolites in urine in subclinical depression. Electroencephalography (EEG) signals were recorded from 78 female college students, including 40 with subclinical depression (ScD) and 38 healthy controls (HC). The phase delay index was utilized to construct functional connectivity networks and quantify the topological properties of brain networks using graph theory. Meanwhile, the urine of all participants was collected for non-targeted LC-MS metabolic analysis to screen differential metabolites. The global efficiency was significantly increased in the α-2, β-1, and β-2 bands, while the characteristic path length of β-1 and β-2 and the clustering coefficient of β-2 were decreased in the ScD group. The severity of depression was negatively correlated with the level of cortisone (p = 0.016, r = −0.40). The metabolic pathways, including phenylalanine metabolism, phenylalanine tyrosine tryptophan biosynthesis, and nitrogen metabolism, were disturbed in the ScD group. The three metabolic pathways were negatively correlated (p = 0.014, r = −0.493) with the global efficiency of the brain network of the β-2 band, whereas they were positively correlated (p = 0.014, r = 0.493) with the characteristic path length of the β-2 band. They were mainly associated with low levels of L-phenylalanine, and the highest correlation sparsity was 0.11. The disturbance of phenylalanine metabolism and the phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine biosynthesis pathways cause depressive symptoms and changes in functional brain networks. The decrease in the L-phenylalanine level may be related to the randomization trend of the β-1 frequency brain functional network. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Depression, Anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Women)

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17 pages, 959 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Presence of Meaning in Parenthood, Perceived Social Support, and Happiness of Mothers Living in Hong Kong: A Comparative Study on Younger and Older Mothers

by Siu-Ming To, Lei Yang and Ming-Wai Yan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 2730; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052730 - 26 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2003

Abstract

This study investigates whether and how mothers’ meaning of parenthood and their perceived social support interact and are associated with their happiness. Similarities and differences in these areas between younger and older mothers are also explored. A total of 1292 Chinese mothers were recruited from different Hong Kong communities; 361 were 24 years of age and younger and were categorized as younger mothers, and 931 were older than 24 years of age and were categorized as older mothers. Multiple regression analyses were performed to discern direct and interaction effects. The results show that older mothers were happier than younger mothers and indicate that parental meaning and perceived social support had a positive effect on the happiness of both younger and older mothers. Notably, while the results reveal significant interaction effects between the meaning of parenthood and perceived social support from significant others and friends on the happiness of older mothers, these effects are not found among younger mothers. This study suggests that the social support young mothers receive from their significant others and friends does not amplify the association between their meaning of parenthood and happiness. These findings provide insights into the importance of synergizing social support and meaning-making among younger mothers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Depression, Anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Women)

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Figure 1

16 pages, 5484 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Loneliness and Depression among Women in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Anna Idzik(199), Anna Leńczuk-Gruba, Ewa Kobos, Mariola Pietrzak and Beata Dziedzic

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10698; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010698 - 12 Oct 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3145

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many changes in the functioning of people all over the world in a short period of time. According to a WHO report (2020), it is women who are at a particular risk of the negative effects of the pandemic, especially in terms of mental health. Aim of study: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of anxiety, depression, irritability, and loneliness among adult women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: The study was conducted on a representative sample of women in Poland (n = 452). The data were collected using the HADS-M scale and the R-UCLA scale. Results: A low level of loneliness was found in 37.3% of the women, moderate in 38.9%, moderately high in 22.3% and very high in 1.3% of women. Self-rating of physical and mental health was significantly positively correlated with anxiety, depression, and irritability in HADS-M, and loneliness in R-UCLA. As the severity of loneliness increased, so did Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores on all subscales (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The study group presented with mental well-being disorders in the form of anxiety and depression. Two in three women experienced loneliness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Depression, Anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Women)

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Review

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15 pages, 1057 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Involvement of Prolactin in Stress-Related Disorders

by Agata Faron-Górecka, Katarzyna Latocha, Paulina Pabian, Magdalena Kolasa, Iwona Sobczyk-Krupiarz and Marta Dziedzicka-Wasylewska

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3257; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043257 - 13 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7705

Abstract

The most important and widely studied role of prolactin (PRL) is its modulation of stress responses during pregnancy and lactation. PRL acts as a neuropeptide to support physiological reproductive responses. The effects of PRL on the nervous system contribute to a wide range of changes in the female brain during pregnancy and the inhibition of the hypothalamic–pituitary axis. All these changes contribute to the behavioral and physiological adaptations of a young mother to enable reproductive success. PRL-driven brain adaptations are also crucial for regulating maternal emotionality and well-being. Hyperprolactinemia (elevated PRL levels) is a natural and beneficial phenomenon during pregnancy and lactation. However, in other situations, it is often associated with serious endocrine disorders, such as ovulation suppression, which results in a lack of offspring. This introductory example shows how complex this hormone is. In this review, we focus on the different roles of PRL in the body and emphasize the results obtained from animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Depression, Anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Women)

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14 pages, 1219 KiB

Open AccessReview

by Małgorzata Lehner, Anna Skórzewska and Aleksandra Wisłowska-Stanek

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(1), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010314 - 28 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2473

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by re-experiencing a traumatic event, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, hyperarousal, and severe functional impairment. Women have a two times higher risk of developing PTSD than men. The neurobiological basis for the sex-specific predisposition to PTSD might be related to differences in the functions of stress-responsive systems due to the interaction between gonadal hormones and stress peptides such as corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), orexin, oxytocin, and neuropeptide Y. Additionally, in phases where estrogens levels are low, the risk of developing or exacerbating PTSD is higher. Most studies have revealed several essential sex differences in CRF function. They include genetic factors, e.g., the CRF promoter contains estrogen response elements. Importantly, sex-related differences are responsible for different predispositions to PTSD and diverse treatment responses. Fear extinction (the process responsible for the effectiveness of behavioral therapy for PTSD) in women during periods of high endogenous estradiol levels (the primary form of estrogens) is reportedly more effective than in periods of low endogenous estradiol. In this review, we present the roles of selected neuropeptides in the sex-related predisposition to PTSD development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Depression, Anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Women)

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